Rotating freezer unit

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a freezer having a rotatable storage rack. A pair of driving hubs are positioned along a central axis and arms extended from each hub perpendicular to the central axis, from which hanging rods are provided for the hanging of one or more baskets.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No.60/845,919, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Sep. 20,2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates generally to a freezer apparatus, and moreparticularly to an apparatus that facilitates locating and retrievingobjects that are stored in a freezer, while providing protection to theuser of the freezer from frostbite or exposure to the atmosphere withinthe freezer.

2. Description of the Related Art

Food freezers, particularly chest-type freezers despite being in wideuse, suffer from a shortcoming of inaccessibility of items that migrateto the bottom of the freezer chest. Accordingly, there is a need for asimple mechanism that allows such items to be quickly and easilyaccessed and removed.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a device and method forsafely and efficiently storing items in a freezer, particularly in achest-type freezer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention substantially solves the above shortcoming ofconventional devices and provides at least the following advantages.

The present invention provides a freezer having, in a preferredembodiment, storage racks or baskets that rotate about a central axisvia hanging rods, in a manner akin to the operation of a ferris wheel.In an alternative embodiment, cylinder wheels each having dividerstherein to form separate compartments, are positioned along and rotateabout a common axis, with a cylinder sweeper closing each compartment asthat compartment rotates away from an upright position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The above and other objects, features and advantages of certainexemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a freezer chest with two cylinder wheels of the presentinvention therein;

FIG. 1 a provides a view of a cylinder wheel;

FIGS. 2 a-b provide view of an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 provides a view of the ferris wheel arrangement of thealternative embodiment removed from the freezer chest;

FIG. 4 provides another view of the ferris wheel arrangement of thealternative embodiment removed from the freezer chest; and

FIGS. 5 a-b provide view of a driving mechanism of the ferris wheelarrangement of the alternative embodiment removed from the freezerchest.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The below description of detailed construction of preferred embodimentsprovides to a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments ofthe invention. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that various changes and modifications of the embodimentsdescribed herein can be made without departing from the scope and spiritof the invention. Descriptions of well-known functions and constructionsare omitted for clarity and conciseness.

Although FIG. 1 shows a freezer chest with two cylinder wheels 210, 220therein, it will be recognized that the present invention can beconfigured to provide a single or more than two cylinder wheels. Thecylinder wheel 210 preferably includes holes 214 between compartmentsthereof to allow for drainage in the even of melting of frozen liquids.

The cylinder wheels 210, 220 each have dividers therein to form separatecompartments, and the cylinder wheels 210, 220 are positioned along androtate about common axis “A”. A cylinder sweeper 216 closes eachcompartment 212 as the compartment rotates away from an uprightposition.

In the alternative embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2-5, rotatable, hangingstorage racks 120 or baskets rotate about a central axis 126 of drivinghubs 120, 124. The rotatable storage racks 120 hang from a plurality ofhanging rods 140-144, and the device operates in a manner akin to aferris wheel.

A plurality of arms 130 extend outwardly from the central axis 126 ofdriving hubs 120, 124 to support the plurality of hanging rods 140-144.

The rotating wheel may be configured to rotate about a horizontal axis,as shown, or alternatively about a vertical axis. As shown in FIGS. 5a-b, an electric motor 160 can be provided to increase user convenience.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may bemade therein without departing from the scope of the inventionencompassed by the appended claims.

1. A freezer comprising: a housing; a rotatable storage rack having apair of driving hubs positioned along a central axis; arms extendingfrom each hub in a direction perpendicular to the central axis;plurality of hanging rods, and a plurality of baskets attachable to thehanging rods, wherein each basket hangs from its respective hanging rod.